CHARITABLE WORKS OF MERCY

Every year between the months of October and February, monsoon rains affect Peninsular Malaysia, especially in the East Coast. During these months, the weather is usually quite bad, causing floods and rough seas. This year, thousands of people in many towns and villages in the states of Pahang, Terengganu and Johor have been affected by these recent floods. 

With the collaboration of the Archdiocesan Office for Human Development, (AOHD), Archdiocesan Orang Asli Apostolate (AOAA) and Parish Integral of Human Development Ministries (PIDHM) of St Joseph’s Church, Sentul, plus a few Parishes in the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, we have endeavoured to work together to assist these flood victims. St Joseph’s Church, Sentul will be the Operations Centre for collection and distribution of items to the flood victims. To begin with, we will concentrate in Pahang - in particular a few kampungs in Sg Lembing, Muadzam Shah, Rompin, Pekan and Mentakab. There are lot of orang asli residents in these areas.

 

Our Parish PIHDM and Parishioners will work together to collect and pack goods and other necessary items for the flood victims before transporting them to the respective areas. We will collect items such as dried packaged and canned foods, mineral water, washed and ironed clothes, masks and sanitisers, medical aid, plus other basic necessities as well as monetary donations. We also expect the PIHDMs from other parishes to collect the above goods and items and forward these to St Joseph’s Church as soon as possible.

 

Starting this weekend, we invite the Parishioners of St Joseph’s to gradually forward the above-mentioned items to the Church. We will use our Parish Hall (Dewan Monsignor Anthony Thomas) as the Operations Centre. Due to the spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in the Klang Valley, we will have duty rosters in place to coordinate the collection and sorting of items.

 

As we celebrate the Year of St Joseph, it is good and timely that our Parish plays an active role in this outreach to help the flood victims. It is our responsibility as a community, to care for and provide basic necessities for individuals in need. We can alleviate the burden of our fellow Malaysians by reaching out to them through works of charity and mercy.

 

St. Joseph’s PIDHM, has been reaching out to the underprivileged in the vicinity of Sentul during this pandemic. We have been distributing groceries and provisions to them once a month. In addition to that, for the past three months we have been supplying packed lunches to 350-500 individuals. In the month of December 2020, we provided school uniforms, shoes, bags, stationery and some cash to 250 underprivileged school children. Without fail, the St Joseph’s Church PIHDM has reached out to the under privileged families, especially during the MCO and CMCO.

 

As Parishioners, let’s take the initiative to do our part in reaching out to those most in need. I am optimistic that many will contribute towards this charitable work, by donating the items needed to assist flood victims in the East Coast.